Headlights Dead

I was checking things out, cleaning, etc, just tinkering under the hood... and opened the fusebox to blow it out. Apparently i blew a sliver of wire against something, when i got in and cranked up, pulled the lights on, smoke out the left dash side, and fusebox too.....now no headlights, high or low, but parking lights work. No fuses blown, and i pulled all the relays and found a piece of wire up against the one closest to the firewall and nearest the center of the car, err....in the 2 rows of relays that is.

bummer, man - if a short-circuit didn't blow the fuse, then it must've melted something else. Which could've been the relay (easy), the dashboard switch (still fairly easy) or something in the wiring harness (ick). 'Smoke' from an electrical prob is a bad sign, smoke from 2 locations is worse!

If replacing the relay don't fix you up, you'll need to track down the melt in the wiring, using a VOM-meter. Which you might be able to get the 'Electrical Troubleshooting Manual' for your model/year from BMWNA? Which it'd be a road-map to the wiring you'll need to check. So you can follow your headlights-wiring completely through the car, from the battery to the relay to the dash-switch up to the dimbulbs themselves.

This spiral-bound book diagrams all the electrical systems, identifies wire-sizes & their insulation-colors, has photos of the interesting bits, & describes the various weird plastic wire-connector plugs. I've found it invaluable in many cases, for modifications or for when things 'just stopped working'.

the wire from pin #85 under the relay nearest the firewall and closest to centerline (next to the purple one). That wire is 100% burnt it's insulation off, and burnt in two under the dash...probably saved my car by burning in two. So, I am getting a new relay from Reggie, and i'll string in a new wire there as time permits.
*sigh* no other wires appear to have significant damage...at least nowhere i can access to inspect.

If I'm seeing it right that is the relay for the low beams K4 ,the high beams relay is K3 right in front.K4 is , from the side of the car its in the 2nd row closest to the firewall.Check to see if there is any evidence of a short (burn marks on the progs of the relay) even if you don't see any I recommend you replace it anyway. Hope this helps.
Bill
PS the # K3/K4 ect.are marked on the fuse box.